BLET News
After slashing 33% of workers in 6 years, railroads complain about “labor shortage” amid uproar over slow shipments
(Source: Wolf Street, July 22, 2021) NEW YORK — Over the past six years, the Class 1 railroads have axed 33% of their workers through layoffs and attrition. According to the Surface of Transportation Board (STB), the Class 1 railroads slashed their headcount from 174,000 workers in April 2015 to 116,000 workers in June 2021.…
Read MoreMulti-faceted Coalition to Campaign for Federal High-Speed Rail Investment
IMMEDIATE RELEASEMedia Contacts:Ezra Silk (USHSRC) 860.916.8964Brian Berg (MKC) 312.282.8260 U.S. HIGH SPEED RAIL COALITION Multi-faceted Coalition to Campaign for Federal High-Speed Rail Investment Groups driven by high-speed rail’s sweeping economic and climate benefits Washington, D.C., (July 15, 2021) —A broad coalition of public interest, labor, environmental and business groups announced today that it has launched…
Read MoreUnion Pacific suspends inbound international container shipments to Chicago for a week
By Bill Stephens | July 14, 2021 (Source: trains.com 07/14/2021) Embargo will allow railroad to address backlog at Global IV facility OMAHA, Neb. – In the latest pandemic-related disruption, Union Pacific has told customers it will halt all shipments of international containers from West Coast ports to its Global IV terminal in Chicago for up to…
Read MoreBLET mourns passing of Washington State Legislative Board Chairman Shahraim Allen
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio, June 30 – Officers, members and staff of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) are deeply saddened to learn of the unexpected passing of Washington State Legislative Board Chairman Shahraim C. Allen, who died on June 24, 2021. He was 45 years old. Brother Allen was a third-generation railroader who belonged…
Read MoreAAR reports rail traffic for the week ending June 19, 2021
(Source: Association of American Railroads press release, June 23, 2021) WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of American Railroads (AAR) today reported U.S. rail traffic for the week ending June 19, 2021. For this week, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 514,112 carloads and intermodal units, up 12.5 percent compared with the same week last year. Total…
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